Electroplating racks



Dec. 27, 1966 w, E, BELKE 3,294,668

ELECTROPLATI NG RACKS Filed July 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,294,668 ELECTROPLATING RACKS William E. Belke, Chicago, Ill.; Lester L. Linquist and Ralph E. Belke, executors of said William E. Belke,

deceased, assignors to Belke Manufacturing Company,

Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,381 6 Claims. (Cl. 204-297) The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 272,891, filed April 15, 1963, now Patent No. 3,272,763, on electroplating racks, and covers a :further improvement in the electroplating racks of said prior application.

The present invention relates to electroplating racks, and is particularly concerned with racks of the type including a supporting spine and one or more article supporting tips for carrying the articles to be electroplated.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an article supporting tip which is adapted to be carried by the usual supporting spine and which is adapted to be quickly attached or quickly detached manually without the use of any tools of any kind, and which is adapted to be shaped with the hands or with any bending tool into various shapes for accommodating various types of articles to be supported thereby for electroplating the articles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved type of supporting tip :for articles to be electroplated, which is simple in construction, adapted to be economically manufactured, which has a minimum number of parts, and which is adaptable to the support of many different kinds of articles to be electroplated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved plastic tip supporting fixture, which may be attached to a spine and which is adapted to be used for supporting many tips of different types.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent trom the following description, and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings accompanying this specification;

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective taken from the top and front, of an electroplating rack assembly including a spine, an electrical connecting member, a universal supporting fixture of plastic, and two forms of quickly attachable and quickly detachable finger units carried by the fixture, for supporting various types of articles to be electroplated;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the supporting fixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the right end of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the assembly of FIG. 3; 7

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 77 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 77 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 8-8, of FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to FIG. 1, 10 indicates in its entirety, a spine of electrically conductive metal, such as cooper, having a bare hook at its upper end for support upon a bus rod above a container for electroplating solution into which the elongated body depends. The body .11 has an initially plastic insulating coating 12 which covers the spine overall except -for the bare hook 13, at the top, but the spine has a plurality of through bores .14, which bores are also bare inside the bore for electrical connection to a through bolt 15, which is provided with a head 16, and a threaded shank 17, extending through the bore 14, in each case. Referring to FIG. 7, this is merely one example of the manner of connecting one of the through bolts 16 to the Spine for one finger assembly, of which there may be many on each spine.

Referring to FIG. 7, the through bore 14 is enlarged about the 'bolt shank 15, and on its left end, in FIG. 7, the shank 15 carries an internally threaded, frusto conical, serrated sleeve 16, which is wedged into the bore 14 at that end, the sharp serrations cutting into the copper in the bore and eitecting a good electrical connection, therewith.

Ontwardly of the serrated sleeve 16, the shank 15 carries a round wire electrical connector member, which comprises a copper wire connector member 17, bent backward upon itself, and including two wires 18 and 19, welded or soldered together and extending vertically along the spine body 11, The two wires 18, 19, are spread and formed into an eye 20 at the top, the eye 20 receiving the shank 15 and the head of the bolt 15 engaging the wire eye 2% which is confined between the head 16 and the serrated sleeve .16, on the shank 15.

Above the eye 20, the two wires .18, 19, are bent laterally in opposite directions at 21, 22, and provide with the two diagonally and downwardly extending portions 23, 24, which are bent backwardly at a right angle at 25, 26, and provided with a pair of horizontally extending arm .27, 28, :for a purpose further to be described.

At its lower end 17, opposite to the eye 20, the double wire portions 18, 19, are bent inwardly at a right. angle at 29, and provided with a short arm 30, the end 31 of which engages the spine body 11.

Referring again to'FIG. 7, at its other end, the threaded shank 15, supports a frusto conical, internally threaded nut, which is indicated at 32 and which draws the serrated sleeve 16 into the bore 14, and secures the bolt 15 to the spine. The cone nut 32 has a non circular body 33, and the threaded end of the shank 17 extends beyond the body 33, at 34. A molded plastic cap nut 35 has a threaded bore 36, threaded on the end 34 of the shank 17, and the nut 35, has an enlarged bore rotating freely about the noncircular body 33, in the enlarged bore 37 until the end 38 of the cap nut 35 engages in the plastic insulation 12 of the spine and effects a liquid seal to exclude the electrolyte from the bolt 15.

The spine body 11 covered overall with plastic insulation 12 is thereby protected from the electrolyte, and the wire conductor member 17 is also covered with the plastic which also covers the head 16 of the bolt, the eye 20, and is provided with a resilient cup shaped formation, around the bolt 15, where the bolt enters the bore 14, and the cup shaped formation engages the plastic on the spine and effects a liquid seal at this point. The horizontally extending arms 27 and 28 also are scraped bare of insulation at the points 40, 41, 42, and 43, where they are engaged by the removable fingers that are supported on the spine.

The wire connector member 17 is employed to support a finger supporting fixture indicated in its entirety by the number 44, and one of the removable finger units by the number 45, and another finger unit 46, in FIG. 1. The finger supporting fixture 44 is preferably molded of chemically inert, chemically resistant, and shock resistant plastic which is unaffected by exposure to the electrolyte and to which no deposit becomes attached.

The finger supporting fixture 44 comprises a flat, substantially rectangular central body, 47, which rests against one side of the spine 11, where it is supported below by the inwardly turned arm 30 on the lower end of the connecting member 17, and is confined between the spine 11 on one side and the double wires 18, 19, on the other side. At its lower end, the fixture 44 has a central downwardly projecting lug 48, engaging the arm 30 on the connector 17. On each lateral side of the body 47, the fixture supports a laterally extending frame 49, 50, and each frame 49, 50, has an integral transverse frame member 51, 52, an intermediate parallel frame member 53, 54, and a pair of parallel end flanges 55, 56, 57, 58, all of which are joined by the end frame members 59, 60, 61, 62, into one integral fixture.

At the points 63, 64, 65, 66, the end frame members 59, 60, 61, 62, are provided with the upwardly projecting shoulders 63, 64, 65, 66, and the horizontal arms, 27 and 28, on the connecting member 17 press down on the fixture 44 and lock it to the spine. At the points67, 68, on the bottom of the body 47 of the fixture 44, there are two depending lugs 67, 68, under which the yoke 69 of each removable finger is engaged. The end flanges 55 to 58, are each provided with upward bevelled opposite end surfaces 70, 71, 72, 73, against which the legs of the removable fingers are engaged.

Referring to FIG. 1, the two types of quickly attachable and quickly detachable finger units 45 and 46 will now be described. Both types of finger units are preferably covered overall with the same plastic insulation except at the ends of the wires where they engage the articles to be electroplated, and at the points where the fingers engage the bare portions 40, 41, 42, 43, of the horizontal arms 27 and 28 of the connector 17, but the finger 45 is shown covered with plastic, and the finger 46 is shown bare to expose its structure.

The bodies of these fingers are the same and each comprises a U or V shaped body having a yoke 69 and a pair of diverging legs 75, 76, which extend upward and outward diagonally over the arms 28, 27 and thereafter the legs 75, '76 are held against and below the bevelled end surfaces 70-73, on the fixture supporting them. Each yoke 69 is first hooked under the lug 67 or 68, and then passed over the arm 27 or 28, and then the legs are pressed together and pressed down and released against the bevelled end surfaces 70, 71, or 72, 73, to retain the finger on the fixture. The finger may be removed by a reverse procedure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the shape of the removable fingers 45 and 46, outside of the flanges 5558, may be the same, and each finger may be bent laterally at 74, 75, or 72, 73, and 76, 77, so that each finger has end portions 80, 81, 82, and 83, extending transversely to the body of the finger. Various other changes may be made for use in supporting various articles, such as the finger 45 may be bent downwardly at 84, 85, FIG. 4, and again bent upwardly at 86, 87, terminating in a pair of upwardly open V- shaped end portions 88, 89, the end of which may be bared for electrical connection to the article being electroplated. Two such finger units, 45 may be employed for supporting heavy articles.

Referring to FIG. 5, each end portion 80, 81, of the finger unit 46, may be bent to form an eye, 90, 91, for supporting a multiple spring unit 92, or 93, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8. Each multiple spring unit 92 or 93, may comprise a tubular rivet 94, riveted over at each of its ends 95, 96, and supporting four springs 97, 98, 99, and 100, FIG. 2, and an aligning stirrup 101, as a unit.

Each stirrup 101, comprises a U-shaped metal member, having a central hole 102, for receiving the rivet 94, and each stirrup 101 has a pair of legs 113, 114, on the opposite sides of an open slot 105, for aligning the springs 97-100, on the rivet 94. Each of the springs 97-100, has a straight central portion 106, 107, 108, 109, which portion is formed with a half eye bend, about the rivet 94,

and all the springs and stirrup are clamped in a unit by the rivet 94. Each spring unit is secured to the eye 90 or 91, by a screw bolt 111, having a head 112, a threaded end 113, and a nut 117. The springs 97-100 may be bent at 115 to diverge from each other and are provided with V- shaped bends 116 adjacent their ends for locating the articles to be electroplated.

It will thus be observed that the present electroplating racks are universally adaptable for supporting a multiplicity of dilferent types of articles, and may be shaped to accomplish the purposes of the user.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but desired to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination of an electrically conducting spine, an electrical connector member fixedly secured to said Spine and having a depending arm, a chemically inert plastic finger supporting member embraced by said arm and clamping said finger supporting member against said spine, said finger supporting member having a lower retaining shoulder and an upper supporting surface, and said connector member having a transverse integral arm engaging said upper supporting surface on said finger supporting member, and a U-shaped spring finger having its yoke engaged under said finger supporting member, and having its legs bent over said transverse arm, said legs spreading into engagement with a pair of opposed bevelled surfaces on said finger supporting member for removably securing said spring finger on said spine.

2. A spring finger assembly comprising a U-shaped spring having its yoke shaped to engage under a shoulder on a finger supporting member, said spring having a pair of legs bent downward to extend over a bare conducting arm carried by a spine, said legs extending outwardly to provide parallel portions to be compressed and sprung apart to engage under a pair of opposed upwardly bevelled retaining flanges on a finger supporting member, the legs thereafter diverging to engage adjustably said retaining flanges to support articles to be electroplated, and the spring finger being removable by pressing the legs together, said spring finger having an eye formed on the end of one of its legs, a securing member in said eye and a plurality of radially extending pairs of divering springs carried by said securing member for retaining articles to be plated on said diverging springs.

3. A spring finger assembly according to claim 2, in which the spring pairs are bent about a tubular rivet and secured thereto, and said spring pairs are aligned by a slotted stirrup and clamping washers on said rivet forming a removable unit.

4. An electroplating rack comprising an elongated spine of highly conductive metal having its lower body covered overall with chemically inert, initially plastic coating of electrical insulation, and having a barehook at its upper end for supporting the spine on a current carrying bus bar above a container of electroplating solution in which the lower body depends, said body having a bare cylindrical through bore for receiving a current carrying member, a threaded metal stud forming said latter member having a head, and a metal spacer carried by said stud, said spacer engaging a serrated frusto conical metal sleeve threaded on said stud and having a serrated tapered surface engaging in said cylindrical bore in said spine, efiecting a good electrical connection therewith, a finger connecting member having an eye formed in said body of said latter member and said eye being mounted on said stud between said eye and said spacer on said stud, said finger connecting member having a clamping arm depending from said eye and having an inwardly turned end on said arm, and said finger connecting member having a laterally and downwardly extending clamping arm provided with an inwardly turned horizontal end portion, said finger connecting member and stud being covered overall with plastic insulation, and provided with a resilient cup-shaped plastic sealing member about said serrated sleeve and efiecting a liquid seal with the plastic coating on said spine, a chemically inert plastic rigid finger supporting member clamped between the depending arm and the spine and having a downwardly facing shoulder, and a removable spring finger member of U- shaped formation engaging below said shoulder at its yoke and extending outward over said horizontal end portion, where electrical connection is made at bared surfaces, said finger thereafter extending downward and engaging under an upwardly bevelled transversely extending flange on said finger supporting member, the finger being removably carried by said finger supporting member and having bare portions for engaging articles to be electroplated.

5. A rack according to claim 4 in which the threaded stud has a tapered threaded clamping sleeve engaging in the bore in the spine drawing the serrated sleeve into good contact and securing the stud on the spine, the threaded end of the stud receiving a plastic cap threaded on said latter end, the cap covering the clamping sleeve, and the cap engaging the plastic coating on the spine to seal against ingress of liquid to the stud.

6. A rack according to claim 5, in which the spring finger has an eye formed on 'one of its legs, a securing member in said eye, and a plurality of radial pairs of diverging springs carried by said securing member for retaining articles to be plated on said springs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,652,359 9/1953 Schneider 204-297 2,858,266 10/1958 Schneider 204297 OTHER REFERENCES Metal Finishing, volume 52, No. 9, September 1954, page 8.

JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner.

D. R. JORDAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING SPINE, AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SPINE AND HAVING A DEPENDING ARM, A CHEMICALLY INERT PLASTIC FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER EMBRACED BY SAID ARM AND CLAMPING SAID FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER AGAINST SAID SPINE, SAID FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING A LOWER RETAINING SHOULDER AND AN UPPER SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND SAID CONNECTOR MEMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSE INTEGRAL ARM ENGAGING SAID UPPER SUPPORTING SURFACE ON SAID FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND A U-SHAPED SPRING FINGER HAVING ITS YOKE ENGAGED UNDER SAID FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND HAVING ITS LEGS BENT OVER SAID TRANSVERSE ARM, SAID LEGS SPREADING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A PAIR OF OPPOSED BEVELLED SURFACES ON SAID FINGER SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID SPRING FINGER ON SAID SPINE. 